Chapter 1 (manga)
"Book of Soul Exchange" is the 1st chapter of The Mystic Archives of Dantalian manga. It's divided into four parts, including an introduction to the manga adaptation. Hugh decides to check a letter recently sent to his late grandfather. The novelist Lenny Lents says he's imprisoned by a Phantom Book. However, the author is supposed to be dead.The Mystic Archives of Dantalian manga, Chapter 1. __TOC__ Summary Part 1 Hugh wakes up with a kick from Dalian. He prepares to use his revolver against a monster, but Dalian stops him. She says the creature is in fact Chez Hurston. The beast is supporting the collapsed ceiling. Someone throws a torch from above. Roy Hurston, Chez’s brother, is trying to kill them. He throws gasoline and lets out a malicious laugh. The cellar is about to be completely destroyed. However, Dalian grants Hugh permission to open the Library. From far away, hunting dogs act strange. The Hurston estate is seen on fire. A huge winged object appears above the house, born from a Phantom Book. Later, policemen are investigating the destroyed place. Roy's body is found. Previously, an unusual couple was witnessed entering the Hurston estate. One of the officers suspects them, yet his superior decides to register the case as an accident. They shouldn’t interfere, since it involves the Black Biblioprincess. A book called “Ras Alhague” is seen. Then, a short-haired woman is shown holding a knife. She had just decapitated a man. One week later, news about the fire still circulate around the city. A kid goes to the Disward estate to deliver the newspaper. He runs in fear when Hugh appears. The latter was working on his car, covered in oil. After reading the newspaper, Hugh notices a letter sent to Wesley. Dalian is shown reading a book ordered by Hugh. She’s mad, looking for the last volume of The Castle of Wolves. Hugh affirms only the first two volumes exist. Dalian is very interested in the love story described in the novels. Hugh shows the letter to Dalian. Apparently, Wesley and the author Lenny Lents were acquaintances. Something was odd about the letter recently send by the writer. Lenny is seen showing his work to a short-haired woman. Unsatisfied, she attacks him with a knife. Hugh is driving to Lenny’s residence while Dalian is reading the letter. The author asks for help, mentioning a Phantom Book. Dalian wants to see his trilogy finished. Hugh affirms the man died half a year ago. When they arrive, Hugh and Dalian meet the short-haired woman. Part 2 A long-haired, naked woman is lamenting over a body with no head. She wonders how long they have been imprisoned by the Ras Alhague. The short-haired woman’s cloth is stained with blood. She’s also holding a knife. Hugh introduces himself and mentions the rumor about the Lenny’s death. However, Hugh is glad the rumor was false, since the author could be seen through a window. The woman says Lenny couldn’t have visitors while secluded, working on a manuscript. Dalian questions if Lenny is working on the last volume of The Castle of Wolves trilogy. After seeing Dalian’s passion for the novel, the short-haired woman decides to arrange for a meeting the next day. Before leaving, Hugh notices a barn locked from the outside. The woman introduces herself as Paula Lents, the novelist’s wife. Hugh watches Lenny’s house from the distance. He gives a cup of tea to Dalian. Hugh wants to sneak into the residence. He mentions his investigation on Lenny. Apparently, the latter was killed by an unknown assailant. His wife was also supposed to be dead after falling ill. Hugh wonders about Paula’s real identity. Under the full moon, they start the infiltration. Dalian is only tagging along to find something to eat. She slips on the snow. Hugh covers her mouth. They see Paula leaving the barn. The knife she’s holding is dripping blood. Inside the barn, the long-haired woman is seen lying on a pool of blood coming from the headless corpse. It seems as if life has returned to her body. After meeting Hugh and Dalian, she introduces herself as Latisha, Lenny’s wife. Part 3 Hugh covers Latisha while Dalian investigates the place. Dalian discovers that Lenny’s face was ripped off and hanged on the wall. Countless bloodied handprints are seen, as if many were slaughtered there. Latisha holds the author’s dismembered body. She asks them to save her husband. They should return tomorrow and take him away from Paula and her Phantom Book. Paula is seen burning the second volume of The Castle of Wolves. Soon, she will have what she desires. She laughs in a maniac way. The next day, Hugh collects a message from the post office. Dalian tries some of Hugh’s biscuits. She doesn’t like it. She slaps Hugh when he appears with snacks he had just purchased. After that, Hugh drives to Lenny’s residence. He wants to call the authorities to apprehend Paula. However, Dalian reminds him of their true purpose. Paula seemed like she's a thrall to the Phantom Book. Their sacred duty was archive it. Paula greets them. She takes Hugh and Dalian to see Lenny Lents. Hugh is surprised to see the man alive. The man pretends to work on the ending of his trilogy. In fact, he writes a message of help, requesting them to save Latisha. His wish is to have his wife taken away from there that same night. They shouldn’t trust Paula. In exchange, they can have the manuscript of his last book. At night, after Hugh and Dalian left, Lenny begs for mercy. Paula keeps ordering Lenny to rewrite his story. The eerie woman threats him with a knife. When it’s midnight, Hugh and Dalian prepare to sneak in again. Bloody handprints.jpg|The walls of Lenny's barn are covered in blood. Meeting Lenny (manga).jpg|Hugh and Dalian meet Lenny. Part 4 Hugh draws his revolver before entering the house. Paula is somewhere else, pointing a rifle at Lenny, who is covered in blood. When they hear a gunshot, Hugh and Dalian run towards the barn. Dalian points out they should obtain the final part of The Castle of Wolves. At the door, they are almost shot by Paula. Hugh drops his gun and surrenders. Lenny is on the ground, with a bag covering his head. Hugh calls her Paula Dickinson. She’s a stalker famous in the publishing industry, suspected to be the assailant that attacked Lenny half a year ago. She also had mutilated the body of Latisha. The police would be there in the morning. Paula affirms she and Lenny love each other. She even allows him to have Latisha. Paula kills Lenny with an axe. The Ras Alhague carried by Paula revives Latisha. The blood returns to her body. Her head is also recovered. Dalian explains the Phantom Book brings the dead back to life. Paula made a pact with the underworld to have such a power. Lenny and Latisha couldn’t be alive at the same time. Their souls were being used as sacrifices for each other. Paula uses the axe again, this time to kill Latisha. Questioned by Hugh, she says she was doing that to obtain a better novel from Lenny. Paula couldn’t accept the ending he originally wrote. She prepares to kill Hugh and Dalian, when Lenny stops her. She lets out an evil laugh while shooting the author dead. Dalian mentions how Lenny and Latisha were developing resistance to death. After many deaths, they evolved into a creature that crushes Paula under its huge fist. Dalian gives Hugh permission to open the Library. He affirms there was no need for that. Fused into one body, the couple slowly disappears. Hugh picks the Ras Alhague from the floor. Paula’s remains were soon found by the authorities. Everyone was informed about how she imprisoned the Lents. The last volume of The Castle of Wolves was found under floorboards and then published. Dalian is frustrated after reading the ending. She wants to read about two men in love. Paula thought the same, and that’s what she was making Lenny write. Dalian decides to write a satisfying story herself.The Mystic Archives of Dantalian manga, Chapter 1. Soul Exchange.jpg|Paula uses the Ras Alhague. Ras Alhague monster (manga).jpg|Paula is killed by the monster born from the couple's soul. Trivia * The ladyfinger biscuits Dalian tries while Hugh is at the post office are manufactured by Lefèvre-Utile, a real French biscuit company founded in Nantes in 1846. The art seen in the box was design by Czech painter Alphonse Mucha around 1900.Packaging Design. In Mucha Foundation. Retrieved 23:16, February 21, 2017, from http://www.muchafoundation.org/gallery/themes/theme/packaging-design/object/58Alphonse Mucha. (2017, February 19). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 23:15, February 21, 2017, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Alphonse_Mucha&oldid=766299688 * The first part of the chapter has two panels resembling the illustrations from the light novel stories ''Pedigree'' and the ''Book of Soul Exchange''. Dalian drops the Phantom Book.png|Dalian and the blue petals, light novel version. Pedigree final.jpg|Dalian and the blue petals, manga version. Dalian's frustrated.png|Dalian's frustration, light novel version. Dalian's frustrated (manga).jpg|Dalian's frustration, manga version. References Category:Manga Chapters